The huge Park Fire in Butte and surrounding counties is still blazing nearing 400,000 acres at just 18 percent containment. The extent of the devastation is coming into focus as residents begin to return to homes that have been destroyed Evacuation orders remain in place. The fire is the biggest so far this year in California and one of the biggest ever recorded in the state. The man accused of starting the fire–had a court date today and prosecutors say they plan to handle his case aggressively
The Bluenose Fire northeast of Covelo remains at 90 percent containment. That’s the only reported fire in Mendocino or Lake County.
A large unplanned power outage left almost a thousand PG&E customers without power today. The outage just before noon affected people in the Covelo Area. PG&E says crews are out troubleshooting and hope to have everything back on by this evening.
A man from Lucerne, accused of supplying the drugs that killed a girl from Lake County will stand trial after a court ruling. Nathan Boggs has been in jail on a one million dollar bond since he was arrested in June in the first case of its kind in the area. 17-year-old Iliana Freese died on November 10th of an apparent overdose of Fentanyl. Prosecutors say they’ve developed evidence that ties Boggs to the pills that Freese took before her death. After hearing this week, Judge J. David Markham decided the trial could proceed. The next court date in the case is August 6th. The case remains under active investigation.
The Clearlake City Council is talking about a ballot measure to support the city recreation department. The issue is one of several on the agenda for this evening’s council meeting. Members will hear a brief report about a suggestion made last month by Vice Mayor Joyce Overton that the city consider asking voters to back those rec programs. Also on the agenda, is a presentation about secondhand smoke in public housing and a discussion about making Pine Street.
A man described as a high-risk sex offender has been arrested in Ukiah. The Daily Journal reports Angel Miller was picked up this week on North State Street in an area he was not supposed to be because of parole restrictions Ukiah Police Chief Cedric Crook said earlier this year that Miller was one of three offenders likely to commit more crimes. Miller’s record includes allegations that he grabbed a teenage jogger on Highland Avenue in 2015. The girl escaped. Chief Crooks says his officers have investigated several incidents involving Miller in the years since. His court records show a five-year sentence for sexual battery in 2015 and another three years in prison in 2020 for false imprisonment involving a woman at the Black Oak Coffee Roasters on North State Street. Mendocino County District Attorney Dale Trigg has investigated previous allegations that Miller violated parol and calls Miller–a menace. He’s being held at Mendocino County Jail.
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A limited number of Firewood permits in the Jackson Demonstration State Forest go on sale next week. The permits, which are for residents of Mendocino County only, will be available starting at 1 PM on August 6th. Permit holders will be allowed to remove wood from the forest, but the wood has to stay in the county because of Sudden Oak Death tree disease. Firewood permits will be limited to two cords per household at $20.00per permit, sold at the CAL FIRE Fort Bragg office, The firewood area will open to permit holders at 2 pm on Wednesday, August 7th, and is tentatively scheduled to close on October 1st,, or when wood supply is gone, a significant rain event happens, or other constraints force closure, whichever occurs first. To ensure sufficient wood supply, only 75 permits will be sold. Those cutting trees have to follow fire safety rules, including the use of chainsaws with a spark arrester and a fire extinguisher or shovel within 25 feet.
